{Nathan and Ryann}

02 September 2012
Castle Hill Winery
Versailles, KY
 

In the middle of the Bluegrass, in Versailles Kentucky there is a Castle!  Yep, who would have thought right?  Well Ryann and Nathan planned their rustic wedding right next to this Castle, on the cute and charming Castle Hill Winery.  Their ceremony site sat on top of a sunny knoll, with a great view of the Castle.

Ryann was enjoyable to work with and very enthusiastic and open to all sorts of different and unique ideas for her bouquet.  She had always wanted white anemones for her Wedding, the beautiful all white flower with bold, black centers, but unfortunately they are out of season in the fall.  So as a compromise / substitute, we used awesome, fabric flowers!  Just loved this addition!  Not only was it a billion times better than using silk flowers, but it added a very unique touch to her special day.  The rest of her bouquet was comprised of hydrangea, freesia, ranunculus, spray roses, baby's breath, etc.

We also tied memory charms to the handle treatment of her bouquet.  All her loved ones that could not be physically present on this day walked with her in spirit.  Love this touch and think more brides should use this idea!

All the bridesmaids' bouquets were simple with red roses.  The burlap handle treatment added rustic class.  Also, the boutonnieres came out great with the addition of the seeded eucalyptus.  All in all everything looked rustic but clean and matched all the decor at the ceremony and reception.

Congrats again Nathan and Ryann.  Best wishes to you both and your life together!

Till next time....seek great design!

A little MORE fun with KioKreations

A week ago I traveled back to Chicago Land to help a good friend, Kristen, owner of KioKreations with more weddings.  The trip back North to my Midwest homeland was much MUCH more exciting this time around because it involved an adorable, red-headed baby named Aria.  Yep Kristen had her baby!  I was so happy to hold her 4 days after she was born.  Such a cutie. So, with Kristen on maternity leave, there was some serious "flower designing" that needed to happen.  Both Weddings were again stunning because KioKreations is the best!  I had the pleasure of taking the lead on the first Wedding which had awesome colors and beyond all else, a fabulous venue, the Danada House in Wheaton, Illionois.  The architecture flowed quite well from the old historic mansion into the beautifully designed outdoor spaces.

The reception area was a recent addition to the back of the house, and I have to say the architects and the design team did a great job.  The addition was seamless from old to new, and the space, with glass walls and modern lighting fixtures, integrated visual connections to the outdoor gardens and surrounding nature preserve.

I also worked this wedding with Denise, from Weddings by Denise.  I loved getting to know her, and learning more about her business.  It is always great to say I have one more friend in the Chicago Land area to visit.

Oh, and this Wedding used the wonderful lavender herb!!  The aroma filled the reception!

The second Wedding was great as well, but the colors and design were completely different from the first.  Instead of a rustic, elegant look, the flowers were bright, loud and modern.  I loved the collaboration of all the yellows, oranges and purples.  Billy Balls, which have been a popular flower lately, always make arrangements look fun and interesting.

Till next time....seek great design!

{Aaron and Erin}

04 August 2012
Hillary J. Boone Center, University of Kentucky
Lexington, KY
 

Another beautiful wedding!  Pinks, white and POLKA DOTS.

Erin said she loved the fluffy and textured, but clean look, and that is just what she got.  Her bouquet was gorgeous!  Filled with hydrangea, cymbidium orchids, freesia, tulips and cabbage roses.  It just screamed beauty.  We wrapped the bouquet and the groom's boutonniere with excess fabric from her dress.

The Girls' bouquets were full of a variety of roses, mokara orchids and hypericum berries.  The mixture of roses added so much texture to these awesome bridesmaid's' bouquets.  The guys wore polka dot bow ties, so we wrapped all the girls' bouquets with the same detail.  Against the pink of the flowers, it looked pretty awesome.

The reception, held at the Boone Center, is beautiful alone, but with all the flowers it looked spectacular.  Plus we loved working with wonderful vendors, Martine's Pastries and Glint Studios; the Boone Center staff treated us with such generosity, we look forward to many MANY more weddings there!

Hope you enjoy the pictures!  Loved this wedding.  Congrats again Aaron and Erin!  Thanks for choosing us, and it was a pleasure geting to know you and your family!

Cake Design:  Martine's Pastries

Till next time.....seek great design!

A little fun with KioKreations

Last weekend I had the pleasure of assisting KioKreations, a boutique florist in the Chicagoland, with two Weddings and a baby shower.  I used to work for KioKreations when I lived in Chicago and really bonded with Kristen, the owner, and her team.  Our styles and practices align and last weekend Kristen filled me full with tons of new knowledge and tricks of the trade. The reason for my trip all the way North to the Windy City?  Oh course to visit the girls I loved working with, but more importantly to help Kristen prepare for her maternity leave.  She is an expecting Mama due any day now so I slipped into the role of floral and event designer so she could put her feet up and try to kick back and relax.  I was hoping little Aria, Kristen is expecting a girl, would make her way into the world while I was in town, but no such luck. I will be returning in three weeks to help with more weddings, so hopefully by then I will meet Aria face to face.

Take a look at the two Weddings we worked hard on....One focused on purple tones and the other on yellow tones.

Purple Wedding

Yellow Wedding

Till next time......seek great design!

{Andy and Ashley Kate}

14 July 2012
Natural Bridge State Resort Park
KY
 

Recently Hide and Seek had the pleasure of participating in the Wedding of Andy and Ashley Kate at "the Gorge," at Natural Bridge State Park.  The setting in this region of Eastern Kentucky is quite breathtaking.

What I loved about this couple was their attention to detail.  Ashley Kate and I met many times to discuss color palettes, textures and how to integrate the natural beauty of this environment into the Wedding theme.

The ceremony took on a unique life of its own.  Unlike the traditional ceremony setting, there was no church or cliche aisle.  Instead they choose an elevated boardwalk that was hidden within the thick canopy and backed with a trickling waterfall.  For flowers the girls all carried a different white fluffy flower ranging from garden roses to tulips.  The boys had coordinating flowers to match the girl they partnered with.

The reception hall, filled with rustic charm, was filled with explosions of pink flowers we designed and installed.  When you first entered the reception you were caught off guard by the huge fireplace and mantle that grounded the room.  Hide and Seek designed a hydrangea drape that flowed over the head table located in front of the fireplace.  The mantle was covered with milk glass bud vases and pink flowers, a wreath hung centered above and candles placed below. Milk glass vases, all different sizes, filled with a multitude of pink flowers, covered the tables and brought the room to life.

Hide and Seek loves these types of weddings, where the client lets our vision run wild and flowers become ART!

Congrats again Andy and Ashley Kate.

Cake:  Cakes by Carolyn

Till next time....seek great design!

{Danny and Laura}

30 June 2012
Clifton Christian Church / Galt House
Louisville, KY
 

I met Laura with her mother Carol for the first time in February.  I love all my clients but I love those that I not only develop a friendship with, but those that challenge me.  Laura and Carol did just that.

She wanted a modern wedding filled with unique flowers and details.  The reception, in the Waterford Room, at the Galt House (downtown Louisville) was quite breathtaking.  White modern chairs, brushed metal chargers and table tops, sleek black accents and decorative chandeliers.  At night overlooking the city, this room stood out with elegant charm.

For Laura's wedding we detailed everything.  I drew sketches of bouquets and altar arrangements, personally designed all the decor and added a modern flare wherever possible.  On top of that Laura, her mother and the rest of the family had sentimental connections to a variety of flowers, poppies, sweet peas and roses which we linked nicely into all the wedding decor.

Laura's bouquet was outstanding.  A fluffy white peony bouquet given a modern attitude with pops of yellow pin cushions and a cluster of sleek white calla lilies clustered in the center.  The callas sat slightly higher than the other flowers.  Laura is tall and slender so we wanted her bouquet to compliment her body.  It did just that.

The Bridesmaids' bouquets followed the same rhythm.  We took a light pink stock bouquet and placed a cluster of white calla lilies in the center.  Again the calla lilies were placed slightly higher than the stock.

One of the many things I love about Laura is her devotion to God.  We took the church decor seriously by focusing the design around the cross, which was raised, lit and centered on the altar.

At the reception the centerpieces added elegant finishing touches. The bright pops of pink mokaras and yellow pin cushions added unusual flair.  Laura and Carol both wanted centerpieces that were simple yet made an outstanding impact on their guests.  The callas wrapped in a squat cylindrical vase with a floating candle did just that.  We also added black moss around the submerged centerpieces which caught the eye of many.

Overall this wedding was outstanding, and we felt honored to be a part of Laura and Danny's day.  I remember standing in the reception hall after putting my finishing touches on the decor and thought "this is so beautiful."

Unfortunately I did not have the pleasure of meeting Danny till the day of the wedding, but we had a great time getting to know each other as he helped us install the church and altar decor.  He is a wonderful man and I wish this couple many many years of happiness.

Till next time....seek great design.

Cake: Heitzmen Bakery

{Lou and Lindsay}

16 June 2012
Kaden Tower Civic Center
Louisville, KY
 

Most of the time textural bouquets, meaning multiple varieties of flowers and varying sizes of blossoms, are my stamp, but creating Lindsay's all rose bouquet from last weekend's small wedding was very refreshing.  Lindsay and Lou were married at the Kaden Civic Center in Louisville.  Their wedding had a Damask theme which incorporated the colors black, ivory and aqua.  To give Lindsay's bouquet an extra elegant punch we used garden roses, which have an wonderful fluffy flare, and aqua rhinestones. Lindsay also wanted a replica faux bouquet to keep as a wedding day memory.  Typically I only work with fresh flowers, and often frown on silks, but when I discovered Sola Flowers, I smiled.  These flowers, fragile indeed, are handcrafted from Tapioca wood, and have a great natural and rustic appearance.  With a little bit of handiwork and love I created a miniature replica of Lindsay's fresh bouquet.

Aqua rhinestones: Northwest Bridal

Till next time......seek great design!